Free Web NovelChapter 161: Tournament: Heirs vs. Kings
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After Seraphina and Sophia’s match came Julius vs. Rowan.
Julius Regulus Vermont (Julie Anne Vermont)—heir of the Vermont family versus Rowan Drake—representative of the Adventurer’s Guild.
Both participants went up the stage and fought, and their battle was the most exciting so far.
Julius showcased the signature style of his family—Golden Thread Arts. It’s a dextrous and agile martial art that turns chakra into solid and durable golden threads that could either be sharpened enough to slice through metal or bind the targets and turn them into puppets.
It’s not just limited to controlling the threads; it comes with lithe, agile, and dexterous movements that make the user almost untouchable.
Julius glided through the arena as if he were never there, as if he were just a mere figment of one’s imagination, all smoke and mirrors. But his golden threads were very real.
They sliced through rocks and caused a lot of grief for Rowan.
Not even a minute into the match and Rowan was already surrounded. Julius’ golden threads danced around the arena, caging Rowan in the middle, offering him no way out.
Sometimes, they will suddenly flash and attempt to cut him; other times, they will try to bind him.
Rowan was stressed; that much was certain. It’s his survival instincts that allowed him to last for longer than people expected.
Yet, although Julius possessed the overwhelming advantage, it’s not like he’s completely dominating Rowan.
For Rowan, this isn’t a fight to determine who’s better; it’s a fight for survival, and he’s certainly displaying exactly what that means.
Rowan treats every twitch of the threads as if they will kill him the next moment. He was completely alert and prepared to move.
His eyes were locked on Julius, and he never allowed the other to escape his vision. No matter where Julius went, Rowan knows where he was and was keeping an eye on him.
This allowed Rowan to start learning the tricks and ways of the Golden Thread Arts. Julius’ fingers twitch first before the threads move. Rowan was using that hint to survive this fight.
Not a trace of finesse and skill was present on the way Rowan fought. His movements looked clumsy, careless, and totally unskilled. But somehow, he was lasting against Julius.
Rowan doesn’t care about skill and finesse. He couldn’t care less about what others say behind his back.
He could and will fight dirty if it means achieving his goal. freёwebnovel.com
Because of this, he managed to reduce the distance between him and Julius on numerous occasions.
Sad to say, the gap was just too big.
Julius never treated Rowan seriously to begin with. This was all just a play for him. He never needed his threads wrapped around Rowan to control him like a puppet.
The moment Rowan became surrounded, he was already dancing on top of Julius’ palm.
In the end, just as Rowan thought he could finally land a blow, he was surprised to discover that he was bound.
He never saw it coming. He froze like a statue, completely immobilized at the peak of his momentum as Julius’ threads kept him locked in place.
Julius tapped Rowan’s forehead once, and the other party lost his consciousness, signifying the end of the fight.
Both parties returned to the waiting room. Julius looked as fresh as a daisy. On the other hand, Rowan looked upset.
Unlike Sophia, he harbored thoughts about winning. He seriously thought he had a chance. Alas, it’s all been in his head all along. This disappointment will probably stay with him for a while.
The next match was between family heirs:
Erickson Gabe Kupkha, the Mad Wolf of the Kupkha Family, versus Alden Silverye, the Silvereye family’s Prince of Charity.
Eric gave Julius a wink before going up the stage, causing the others in the waiting room to start speculating. Meanwhile, Alden just stood up, his face still calm as a lake, as he allowed the staff to lead him to the tunnel.
Both participants went up the stage, eyeing each other warily. They didn’t seem to be surprised by the setup or just didn’t care enough to complain.
A set of claws appeared on Eric’s fists, three claw blades on each hand. Each blade gleamed with a sharp and sanguine sheen as Eric’s aggression started rising.
Meanwhile, Alden still looked as placid as a still lake. He was completely unaffected by Eric’s ferociousness as he drew out his long and elegant saber.
Once the referee started the match, Eric immediately burst into action and closed the gap between him and Alden.
His leg muscles bulged as he practically flew like a bullet with his claws stretched out.
For a moment there, a lot of people—mostly ladies who are enamored with their Prince Charming—screamed in fright and warned Alden to evade. But it seemed like Alden was struck, frozen in fear.
Just as Eric’s claws were about to descend on him, a silver gleam erupted from Alden’s eyes.
In the next moment, he moved with incredible speed. He lowered his body and artistically drew his saber from its sheath. He executed a clean and skillful parry that created a loud sound that echoed within the confines of the battlefield.
Alden’s saber arced like a crescent moon, forcing Eric back like he was some petulant beast that needed to be taught a lesson.
’Moonlit Reflection Arts’—it was one of the lesser inheritances of the Silvereye family, one that Alden preferred over the main inheritance.
It’s a reactive martial art that relies on patience, speed, and grace. Alden mastered it to the point that even the main inheritance of his family started to look pale in comparison.
Eric didn’t look upset at what happened, though. He never expected to take down Alden in a single burst attack like that. Hell, he’d be upset if he did.
To Eric, that was just a greeting. After all, he and Alden haven’t sparred in a while.
Unlike the Vermonts, the Silvereyes don’t mind the Kupkhas. In fact, the two had a long-standing business partnership.
Alden was friendly to everybody, and of course, Eric was included in that. A lot of people who met and interacted with Alden would often say that it’s hard to dislike the man because he’s just that kind.
That said, Alden and Eric weren’t best friends. More like casual acquaintances. And that’s mostly because both of them were heirs to their respective families.
However, they’re in the middle of a tournament now. Their friendship comes later; right now, they’re foes.
After being repelled, Eric didn’t hesitate to launch a flurry of attacks. His claws gleamed with a strong sanguine light as he attempted to tear Alden to shreds.
But each attack he did was met with resistance. His claws met the elusive shadow of Alden’s saber, repelling each attack with perfect precision. Not even a stray light landed on Alden’s clothes.
The moonlit gleam was strong on Alden’s body, focused on his arms and on his saber as he flourished it.
That said, this is exactly what Eric wanted. The more Alden resisted, the more aggressive and determined Eric was to hunt him.
The more he attacked, the heavier his blows became. Slowly, Eric’s appearance started changing.
First, it was his pupils. They turned to slits, like those of a snake. Next, his black hair turned gray and grew longer and more fuzzy; even the hairs on his exposed skin did the same.
His face started morphing, turning longer. His fangs grew and started protruding out of his mouth. His grunts turned into growls, and his metal claws actually turned into beast claws. It’s as if his weapon melded to his arm, transforming it to the actual claws of a beast.
Right now, Eric looked like a werewolf instead of a human. And this was because of his bloodline.
Blood Moon Alpha Werewolf Physique—that’s Eric’s innate martial physique and the very thing that allowed him to claw his way to the top of his family. Sure, he descended from the main line, but he wasn’t the heir until he awakened this Epic Grade Physique.
Eric was taller, stronger, faster, and more feral in this state. His instincts were incredibly sharp, and once he’s determined to hunt something, or someone, down, it is very difficult for him to stop.
That said, it doesn’t mean he’s frenzied and uncontrollable. Somewhere deep in his predatory and feral eyes, Eric’s mind was clear. He’s conscious enough to know when to stop.
He might not like it, but he had his bloodline on a leash.
Alden did his best, truly. He too had an epic grade martial physique, just like everybody else in here, as far as he knows, but when Eric gets like this, there are very few people who could stop him.
Their fight was fierce and action-filled. In the end, Alden was wounded, and some parts of his clothes were torn to shreds by Eric’s claws.
Eric wasn’t unscathed. He had long gashes of wounds on his body that stained his clothes red.
However, Alden was completely exhausted while Eric was still raring to go. In the end, the referee had to interfere since Alden could no longer continue.
Eric won this fight.
